You're Having a Problem
by Roslin Fan
Summary: Laura notices Bill's acting strange. She wants to get to the bottom of it.


Bill was pacing his quarters, which was out of character for him. Laura was usually the one who sometimes liked to walk through her thoughts, typically barefooted. But she was sitting still and comfortable on the sofa, reading what seemed like the thousandth fuel report she'd seen that week, and it was only Wednesday (though she couldn't be sure. Her concept of time had suffered since the attacks. It was hard for her to keep track of days and weeks, when they simply blended into each other.) Between the dryness of the report and Bill's pacing, she was becoming distracted. Knowing she couldn't fault him for a trait she possessed, she didn't want to tell him to stop. On the other hand, her friend was acting out of character, and it was in her-and the fleet's-best interest to know why. If he was having a problem, it was her duty as President-and Bill's friend-to help him work through it.

Laura's usual tactfulness failed her evidently, as she said "You're having a problem," interrupting Bill's pacing. He moved toward the sofa and sat down next to his President.

"What?"

"I'm sorry, that didn't quite come out right. What's wrong, Bill? You don't usually pace your quarters."

"I couldn't since usually you are."

"That's true. Come on, what's bothering you?"

"You mean more than usual?"

"Yeah."

"It's silly."

"I'd say anything that has the Admiral of the fleet in a tizzy is far from silly."

"Today's my birthday."

"Happy birthday, Bill. We should celebrate."

"Thank you. That's not. I mean I wasn't-"

"Fishing for a compliment, I know. That's not your style."

"Yours neither."

"No. So you weren't fishing for a compliment. You're not interested in a celebration. What's wrong, then?"

"I'm 60 years old, Laura."

"So? You're not trying to resign again, are you? I'm not interested in replacing you, Admiral. It took three years to mold you; you'd better be worth my investment."

"No, I'm not trying to resign. And what do you mean, you molded me?" He attempted the Adama Glare, but it was ineffective against the President, who was completely impervious to his brand of intimidation. If Bill were honest with himself, he'd realize any fight that he won against her was Laura's doing. The only time he could ever defeat her is if she rigged the match in his favor. Her brand of diplomacy truly was the best strategy.

"Oh, I molded you."

"Only because I let you." Bill knew he was in for it, when she gave him the Roslin Glare, which he wasn't impervious to.

"You let me?"

"Yeah, after the brig. I realized you were right, and I didn't want to work against you anymore."

Her glare softened, but her gaze was still intense. "So you let me change you?"

Bill nodded and said, "I wanted you to."

"Why?"

"You knew what the fleet needed better than I did. What my family needed."

Her gaze had completely softened. She knew they were bordering on the emotional, which was frightening to the typically stoic woman. "I see."

"Plus, I finally understood you."

Laura gave him her signature eyebrow raise. "You understand me?"

He raised his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, I understood you better."

"What did you understand?"

"You weren't undermining me for a power play; you were doing it to save us all."

The recent turn in their conversation reminded Laura of a similar conversation they had on Kobol. It was the first time Bill showed his admiration for her. She gave her friend a small smile. "Never was very interested in power."

"Yet you have a lot of it."

Laura assumed her defiant stance. "The last time I gave it up, New Caprica happened. So I'll keep it for now."

Bill looked at his dearest friend with pride and affection and said, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"And I'm only willing to share it with you, so you better not resign or die on me."

"I'll do my best to stick around, then."

"Now that that's settled, what's wrong with being 60?"

"I've been up here for so long, Laura. I'll likely die up here."

"You're thinking of other things you'd have liked to have done?"

"Yeah."

"Like what?"

"The sad thing is I don't even know. I never got to see all the colonies. I spent most of my time on various battlestars. My shore leaves were spent at home or in dive bars with Saul after my divorce."

"So you don't know what you missed?"

"No. And now I'll never get a chance. They're gone."

"Yes they are."

"What about you? What are you missing?"

"So many things."

"Tell me."

"Public fountains. I used to love the fountain in the center of Caprica City. I used to love eating Sushi and seafood. I did manage to see many of the colonies. Mostly on business, though."

"Running the schools?"

"Yeah, and attending meetings."

"What kind of meetings?"

"All kinds. Adar had a big government to run. He had to be abreast of the going-ons of twelve planets, each with billions of people. That meant lots of meetings."

"Like us, now?"

"Well, no. I have way more meetings than Adar did. But he was President during peace times. Not that he didn't have his challenges, but the worst thing he had to worry about was the teachers' strike."

"Which you handled, correct?"

"Yup. But he didn't like the way I handled it."

"I'm sure you were right and he was wrong."

"Why's that?"

"You're always right, and he was a moron."

Laura was reduced to giggles before she said, "I'm not always right."

"Okay, maybe 99% of the time."

"And the other 1%?"

"I'm right."

"As long as one of us is right."

"Always."

"So, are you good?"

"I'm good. I'm an old man, but I'm good."

"Hmm. Instead of worrying about what you lost and never experienced, you should think about what you have."

"Is that what you do?"

"I try to, yes."

"Is that enough?"

"It'll have to be. And you have more than I do, so it should be enough for you too."

"You're enough for me."

Laura looked down, trying to avoid his eyes and their intensity. "I don't know about that."

"I do."


End file.
